Read the Gospels in 40 Days
10 And after these things the Lord Jesus ordained also other seventy and twain, and sent them by twain and twain before his face into every city and place[a], whither he was to come.
2 And he said to them, There is much ripe corn, and few workmen [Soothly much ripe corn is, but few workmen be]; therefore pray ye the Lord of the ripe corn, that he send workmen into his ripe corn.
3 Go ye, lo! I send you as lambs among wolves.
4 Therefore do not ye bear a satchel, neither scrip [Do not ye bear a satchel, nor scrip], neither shoes, and greet ye no man by the way.
5 Into what house that ye enter [And into whatever house ye shall enter], first say ye, Peace to this house.
6 And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest on him; but if none [if none], it shall turn again to you.
7 And dwell ye in the same house [Forsooth in the same house dwell ye], eating and drinking those things that be at them; for a workman is worthy his hire. Do not ye pass from house into house.
8 And into whatever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat ye those things that be set to you;
9 and heal ye the sick men that be in that city. And say ye to them, The kingdom of God shall approach into you.[b]
10 And into what city ye enter [Into whatever city ye shall enter], and they receive you not, go ye out into the streets of it, and say ye,
11 We wipe off against you the powder that cleaved to us of your city; nevertheless know ye this thing, that the realm of God shall come nigh.
12 [Forsooth] I say to you, that to Sodom it shall be easier [for to Sodom, it shall be easier, or less pain,] than to that city in that day.
13 Woe to thee, Chorazin; woe to thee, Bethsaida; for if in Tyre and Sidon the works of power [the virtues] had been done, which have been done in you, sometime they would have sat in haircloth and ashes, and have done penance [sometime they sitting in haircloth and ashes, should have done penance].
14 Nevertheless to Tyre and Sidon it shall be easier in the doom than to you.
15 And thou, Capernaum, art enhanced till to heaven; thou shalt be drowned till into hell [thou shalt be drowned down into hell].
16 He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.
17 And the two and seventy disciples turned again with joy, and said [saying], Lord, also devils be subject to us in thy name.
18 And he said to them, I saw Satan falling down from heaven, as lightning.
19 And lo! I have given to you power to tread on serpents, and scorpions, and on [upon] all the virtue of the enemy, and nothing shall harm you.
20 Nevertheless do not ye [have] joy in this thing, that spirits be subject to you; but joy ye, that your names be written in heavens.
21 In that hour he gladded in the Holy Ghost, and said, I acknowledge to thee, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for thou hast hid these things from wise men and prudent, and hast showed them to small children. Yea, Father, for so it pleased before thee.[c]
22 All things be given to me of my Father, and no man knoweth, who is the Son, but the Father; and who is the Father, but the Son, and to whom the Son will show.
23 And he turned to his disciples, and said, Blessed be the eyes, that see those things that ye see [Blessed be the eyes, which see those things that ye see].
24 For I say to you, that many prophets and kings would have seen those things, that ye see [which ye see], and they saw not; and hear those things, that ye hear, and they heard not.
25 And lo! a wise man of the law rose up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what thing shall I do to have everlasting life? [And lo! a wise man of law rose, tempting him, and saying, Master, what thing doing shall I wield everlasting life?]
26 And he said to him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 He answered, and said, Thou shalt love thy Lord God [He answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God] of all thine heart, and of all thy soul, and of all thy strengths, and of all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And Jesus said to him, Thou hast answered rightly; do this thing, and thou shalt live.
29 But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus beheld, and said, A man came down from Jerusalem into Jericho, and fell among thieves, and they robbed him[d], and wounded him, and went away, and left the man half alive.
31 And it befell, that a priest came down the same way, and passed forth, when he had seen him. [Forsooth it befell, that some priest came down in the same way, and, him seen, he passed forth.]
32 Also [and] a deacon, when he was beside the place, and saw him, passed forth.
33 But a Samaritan, going the way [Forsooth some Samaritan, making journey], came beside him; and he saw him, and had ruth on him;
34 and came to him, and bound together his wounds, and poured in oil and wine [pouring in oil and wine]; and laid him on his beast, and led him into an hostelry, and did the care of him.
35 And another day he brought forth two pence, and gave to the hosteler, and said, Have the care of him; and whatever thou shalt give over, I shall yield to thee, when I come again.
36 Who of these three, seemeth to thee, was neighbour to him, that fell among [the] thieves?
37 And he said, He that did mercy into him. And Jesus said to him, Go thou, and do thou in like manner.[e]
38 And it was done, while they went, he entered into a castle; and a woman, Martha by name, received him into her house. [Forsooth it was done, while they went, and he entered into some castle; and some woman, Martha by name, received him into her house.]
39 And to this was a sister, Mary by name, which also sat beside the feet of the Lord, and heard his word.
40 But Martha busied about the oft service. And she stood, and said, Lord, takest thou no keep, that my sister hath left me alone to serve? therefore say thou to her, that she help me.[f]
41 And the Lord answered, and said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art busy, and art troubled about full many things;
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part [Mary hath chosen the better part], which shall not be taken away from her.
11 And it was done, when he was praying in a place [when he was praying in some place], as he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as [and] John taught his disciples.
2 And he said to them, When ye pray, say ye, Father [Father ours], hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come to; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
3 Give to us to day our each day's bread.
4 And forgive to us our sins, as [and] we forgive to each man that oweth to us [as and we forgive to each owing to us]. And lead us not into temptation.
5 And he said to them, Who of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him, Friend, lend to me three loaves;
6 for my friend cometh to me from the way [for my friend cometh to me of the way], and I have not what I shall set before him.
7 And he withinforth answer and say, Do not thou be heavy to me; the door is now shut, and my children be with me in bed; I may not rise, and give to thee.
8 And if he shall dwell still knocking, I say to you, though he shall not rise, and give to him, for that that he is his friend, nevertheless for his continual asking he shall rise, and give to him [And if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, though he shall not give to him, for he is his friend, nevertheless for his improbity, or continual asking, he shall rise, and give to him], as many as he hath need to.
9 And I say to you, ask ye, and it shall be given to you; seek ye, and ye shall find; knock ye, and it shall be opened to you.
10 For each that asketh, taketh, and he that seeketh, findeth; and to a man that knocketh, it shall be opened.
11 Therefore who of you asketh his father bread, whether he shall give him a stone? or if he asketh fish, whether he shall give him a serpent for the fish?
12 or if he asketh an egg [or if he shall ask an egg], whether he shall areach him a scorpion?
13 Therefore if ye, when ye be evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Father of heaven shall give a good Spirit to men that ask him.
14 And Jesus was casting out a fiend [And he was casting out a fiend], and it was dumb. And when he had cast out the fiend, the dumb man spake; and the people wondered.
15 And some of them said, In Beelzebub, prince of devils, he casteth out devils.
16 And others tempting asked of him a token from heaven.
17 And as he saw the thoughts of them, he said to them, Every realm parted against itself, shall be desolate, and an house shall fall on an house.[g]
18 And if Satan be parted against himself, how shall his realm stand? For ye say, that I cast out fiends in Beelzebub.
19 And if I in Beelzebub cast out fiends, in whom cast out your sons [in whom your sons cast out]? Therefore they shall be your doomsmen.
20 But if I cast out fiends in the finger of God, then [soothly] the realm of God is come among you.
21 When a strong, armed man keepeth his house, all things that he wieldeth be in peace.
22 But if a stronger than he come upon him, and overcome him, he shall take away all his armour, in which he trusted, and shall deal abroad his robberies [and shall deal abroad his spoils, or robberies].
23 He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not together with me, scattereth abroad.
24 When an unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he wandereth by dry places, and seeketh rest [When an unclean spirit hath gone out of a man, he wandereth by dry places, seeking rest]; and he finding none, saith, I shall turn again into mine house, from whence I came out.
25 And when he cometh, he findeth it cleansed with besoms, and fair arrayed [and adorned].
26 Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and they enter [in], and dwell there. And the last things of that man be made worse than the former.
27 And it was done, when he had said these things, a woman of the company raised [up] her voice, and said to him, Blessed be the womb that bare thee, and blessed be the teats that thou hast sucked.[h]
28 And he said, But yea blessed be they [And he said, Rather, blessed be they], that hear the word of God, and keep it.
29 And when the people ran together, he began to say, This generation is a wayward generation; it seeketh a token, and a token shall not be given to it, but the token of Jonas, the prophet.
30 For as Jonas was a token to men of Nineve, so man's Son shall be to this generation.
31 The queen of the south shall rise in doom with men of this generation, and shall condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth, to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo! here is a greater than Solomon.
32 Men of Nineve shall rise in [the] doom with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they did penance in the preaching of Jonas [for they did penance at the preaching of Jonas], and lo! here is a greater than Jonas.
33 No man tendeth a lantern, and putteth it in huddles[i], neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they that go in, see light.
34 The lantern of thy body is thine eye; if thine eye be simple, all thy body shall be light[-full]; but if it be wayward, all thy body shall be dark-full.
35 Therefore see thou, lest the light that is in thee [lest the light which is in thee], be darknesses.
36 Therefore if all thy body be bright, and have no part of darknesses, it shall be all bright, and as a lantern of brightness it shall give light to thee. [Therefore if all thy body shall be light-full, not having any part of darknesses, it shall be all light-full, and as a lantern of brightness, or shining, it shall give light to thee.]
37 And when he spake, a Pharisee prayed him [some Pharisee prayed], that he should eat with him. And he entered, and sat to meat [And he gone in, sat at the meat].
38 And the Pharisee began to say, guessing within himself, why he was not washed before [the] meat.
39 And the Lord said to him, Now ye Pharisees cleanse that that is withoutforth of the cup and the platter; but that thing that is within of you [but that thing of you that is within], is full of raven and wickedness.
40 Fools, whether he that made that that is withoutforth, made not also that that is within?
41 Nevertheless that that is over-plus [Nevertheless that thing that is over, or superfluous], give ye alms, and lo! all things be clean to you.
42 But woe to you, Pharisees, that tithe mint, and rue, and each herb, and leave doom and the charity of God [that tithe mint, and rue, and all wort, or herb, and pass doom and the charity of God]. For it behooved to do these things, and not to leave those.
43 Woe to you, Pharisees, that love the first chairs in synagogues, and salutations in market [and salutations in markets].
44 Woe to you, that be as sepulchres, that be not seen [which appear not], and men walking above know not.
45 But one of the wise men of the law answered, and said to him, Master, thou saying these things, also to us doest despite. [Forsooth one of the wise men of law answering, said to him, Master, thou saying these things, doest despite also to us.]
46 And he said, Also woe to you, wise men of [the] law, for ye charge men with burdens which they be not able to bear [for ye charge men with burdens which they may not bear], and ye yourselves with your one finger touch not the heavinesses.
47 Woe to you, that build tombs of prophets [Woe to you, that build burials, or tombs, of prophets]; and your fathers slew them.
48 Truly ye witness, that ye consent to the works of your fathers; for [soothly] they slew them, but ye build their sepulchres.
49 Therefore [and] the wisdom of God said, I shall send to them prophets and apostles, and of them they shall slay and pursue,
50 that the blood of all [the] prophets, that was shed from the making of the world [that was shed out from the beginning of the world], be sought of this generation;
51 from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias that was slain betwixt the altar and the house[j]. So I say to you, it shall be sought of this generation.
52 Woe to you, wise men of the law [wise men of law], for ye have taken away the key of knowing; and ye yourselves entered not [ye yourselves entered not in], and ye have forbidden them that entered.
53 And when he said these things to them, the Pharisees and wise men of the law [wise men of law] began grievously to against-stand [him], and [to] stop his mouth of many things,
54 ambushing him, and seeking to take something of his mouth, to accuse him [that they should accuse him].
12 And when much people stood about [Soothly many companies of people standing about], so that they trod each on other, he began to say to his disciples, Be ye ware of the sourdough of the Pharisees, that is hypocrisy [which is hypocrisy].
2 For nothing is covered, that shall not be showed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3 For why those things that ye have said in darknesses, shall be said in light; and that that ye have spoken in [the] ear in bedchambers [and that that ye have spoken in the ear in couches], shall be preached in roofs.
4 And I say to you, my friends, be ye not afeared of them [be not afeared of them] that slay the body, and after these things have no more what they shall do.
5 But I shall show to you, whom ye shall dread; dread ye him, that after he hath slain [which after he hath slain], hath power to send into hell. And so I say to you, dread ye him.
6 Whether five sparrows be not sold for two halfpence [for two farthings]; and one of them is not in forgetting before God?
7 But also all the hairs of your head be numbered. Therefore do not ye dread; ye be of more price than many sparrows.
8 Truly I say to you, each man that acknowledgeth me before men [Truly I say to you, whoever shall acknowledge me before men], man's Son shall acknowledge him before the angels of God.
9 But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.
10 And each that saith a word against man's Son, it shall be forgiven to him; but it shall not be forgiven to him, that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost. [And each that saith a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven to him; he that shall blaspheme into the Holy Ghost, soothly it shall not be forgiven to him.]
11 And when they lead you into synagogues, and to magistrates, and potentates, do not ye be busy, how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say.
12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in that hour, what it behooveth you to say.
13 And one of the people said to him [Soothly some man of the company saith to him], Master, say to my brother, that he part with me the heritage.
14 And he said to him, Man, who ordained me a doomsman, or a parter, on you [over you]?
15 And he said to them, See ye, and beware of all covetousness; for the life of a man is not in the abundance of the things, which he wieldeth.
16 And he told to them a likeness, and said, The field of a rich man brought forth plenteous fruits. [Soothly he said to them a likeness, saying, The field of some rich man brought forth plenteous fruits.]
17 And he thought within himself, and said [saying], What shall I do, for I have not whither I shall gather my fruits?
18 And he saith, This thing I shall do; I shall throw down my barns, and I shall make greater, and thither I shall gather all things that grow to me, and my goods.
19 And I shall say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods kept into full many years [thou hast many goods put up, or kept, into full many years]; rest thou, eat, drink, and make feast.
20 And God said to him, Fool, in this night they shall take thy life from thee. And whose shall those things be, that thou hast arrayed? [Soothly God said to him, Fool, in this night they shall ask of thee thy soul. Forsooth whose shall those things be, which thou hast made ready?]
21 So is he that treasureth to himself, and is not rich in God.
22 And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say to you, do not ye be busy to your life, what ye shall eat, neither to your body, with what ye shall be clothed.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body more than clothing.
24 Behold the crows, for they sow not, neither reap [nor reap], to which is neither cellar, nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more ye be of more price than they [How much more be ye of more price than they(?)].
25 And who of you by thinking may put one cubit to his stature [may add one cubit to his stature]?
26 Therefore if ye be not able to do that that is least [Therefore if ye may not do that that is least], what be ye busy of other things?
27 Behold ye the lilies of the field, how they wax; they travail not, neither spin. And I say to you, that neither Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these.
28 And if God clotheth thus the hay, that to day is in the field [which to day is in the field], and to morrow is cast into an oven; how much more you of little faith.
29 And do not ye seek, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; and do not ye be raised on high.
30 For folks of the world seek all these things; and your Father knoweth, that ye have need to all these things.
31 Nevertheless seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be cast to you.
32 Do not ye, little flock, dread, for it pleased to your Father to give you a kingdom.
33 Sell ye those things that ye have in possession [Sell ye those things that ye wield], and give ye alms. And make to you satchels that wax not old, treasure that faileth not in heavens, whither a thief approacheth not [whither a thief nigheth not], neither moth destroyeth.
34 For where is thy treasure, there thine heart shall be. [Forsooth where thy treasure is, there also thine heart shall be.]
35 Be your loins girded above, and lanterns burning in your hands;
36 and be ye like to men that abide their lord [and ye like to men abiding their lord], when he shall turn again from the weddings, that when he shall come, and knock, at once [anon] they open to him.
37 Blessed be those servants, that when the lord shall come [whom when the lord shall come], he shall find waking. Truly I say to you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit to meat [and make them sit at the meat], and he shall go, and serve them.
38 And if he [shall] come in the second waking, and if he come in the third waking, and find so, those servants be blessed.
39 And know ye this thing, for if an husbandman knew, in what hour the thief would come, soothly he should wake, and not suffer his house to be mined [and suffer not his house to be mined].
40 And be ye ready, for in what hour ye guess not, man's Son shall come.
41 And Peter said to him, Lord, sayest thou this parable to us, or to all?
42 And the Lord said, Who, guessest thou, is a true dispenser, and prudent [Who, guessest thou, is a faithful dispenser, and prudent], whom the lord hath ordained on [upon] his household, to give them in time a measure of wheat?
43 Blessed is that servant, that the lord when he cometh, shall find so doing. [Blessed is that servant, whom when the lord shall come, he shall find so doing.]
44 Verily I say to you, that on [upon] all things that he wieldeth, he shall ordain him.
45 That if that servant say in his heart, My lord tarrieth to come; and begin to smite children, and handmaidens, and eat, and drink, and be full-filled over measure [and be filled over measure],
46 the lord of that servant shall come, in the day that he hopeth not, and in the hour that he knoweth not, and shall part him (in pieces), and [shall] put his part with unfaithful men.
47 But that servant that knew the will of his lord, and made not him(self) ready, and did not after his will, shall be beaten with many beatings.
48 But he that knew not, and did worthy things of strokes, shall be beaten with few. For to each man to whom much is given, much shall be asked of him; and they shall ask more of him, to whom they betook much.
49 I came to send fire into the earth, and what will I, but that it be kindled?
50 And I have to be baptized with a baptism, and how am I constrained, till that it be perfectly done [till it be perfectly done]?
51 Ween ye [Guess ye], that I came to give peace into [the] earth? Nay, I say to you, but parting.
52 For from this time there shall be five parted in one house; three shall be parted against twain, and twain shall be parted against three;[k]
53 the father against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the husband's mother against the son's wife, and the son's wife against her husband's mother.
54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rising from the sun going down, at once ye say [anon ye say], Rain cometh; and so it is done.
55 And when ye see the south blowing, ye say, That heat shall be; and it is done.
56 Hypocrites, ye know how to prove the face of heaven and of earth, but how prove ye not this time[?]
57 But what and of yourselves ye deem not that that is just? [Forsooth why and of yourselves deem ye not this thing that is just?]
58 But when thou goest with thine adversary in the way to the prince, do busyness to be delivered from him; lest peradventure he take thee to the doomsman [Forsooth when thou goest with thine adversary to the prince in the way, give thou busyness to be delivered from him; lest peradventure he draw thee to the doomsman], and the doomsman betake thee to the masterful asker, and the masterful asker send thee into prison.
59 I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence [I say to thee, Thou shalt not go thence], till thou yield the last farthing.
2001 by Terence P. Noble